About my career

From the time I left high school, until I started working at American Express, I did a number of what you might call "odd jobs."  I worked a number of short term contract jobs that were purpose-driven, I interned at IBM in the PC division, I worked at GE in their simulation division, I did graduate research at NASA (and wrote my thesis about payload processing on the space shuttle), I spent the better part of a year working at Disney World, and I did a stint in manufacturing as a plant engineer. 

I had some fun along the way.  I didn't make a ton of money, but I lived my best life.

But when a unique opportunity came my way, I decided to jump on it.  The year was 1994, the company was American Express, and they were looking for someone to come in as a contractor and build something new.

Until a few years before I joined, AmEx had been known as a charge card.  A charge card is essentially designed to lend you money that you have to pay back at the end of the billing cycle.  There was no interest to be accrued, rather if you didn't pay by the due date, you were assessed a late fee.  The company was governed by the FTC and was not considered a bank.

But, in the early 1990s, they launched their first credit card (that could accrue interest) in a product they called Optima.

What AmEx wanted to do, what they brought me on to do, was to figure out how to launch new charge products that could have very specific benefits that more closely resembled credit cards. It was so wildly interesting that I was in.

I was part of a very small team that made that happen. We launched a number of new card products into the marketplace.  Some were successful, and some not so much.  But I was responsible for making it happen.  Me.  The company would not have grown in this space without me.  In all that time, I certainly generated revenue for the company.  Its wild to realize just what I contributed to the bottom line.

And what did I get for my hard work?  A job offer to come on as a full time industrial engineer and continue to build on this process.  And take a pay cut.  I thought long and hard about it, but decided to take the offer.

The next big thing I worked on was a secretive project that looked like a new product launch.  I had to sign a specific NDA for it, and was one of about 10 people in the company who knew anything about this.  And one of about 5 actively working on it.

Enough time has elapsed, and the outcome is widely known, but I still won't give away too much here.  In short, we were working with one of the banks to launch a Visa product that could earn Membership Rewards points.

Two side notes here: Membership Rewards started out was Membership Miles, where purchases you made on you charge card could accrue miles to be used on a partner airline.  It was expanded (on a project I worked on), to not just be used for miles, but for other things, too.  You accumulate "reward points" instead of "miles."

The other thing is something a lot of people don't realize. American Express is a closed network, and acts as the "issuer" and the "acquirer" meaning they own it all and make money on the cards and the merchant network, fees, interest, and so on.  Discover is a similar type of setup.  But Visa and Mastercard are independent organizations that run the network, but they do not issue the cards.  That's done by a legal agreement with member banks.  These banks have an exclusive agreement to only issue Visas and Mastercards.

What we didn't realize when we launched our new product was that this wasn't about getting new customers.  It was really about exploiting a loophole in the bank member agreement which caused Visa to amend their bylaws to prevent what we did from happening.... and ultimately to get the DOJ to open an investigation into Visa's business practices.  And that led to a very large (like $100s of millions large) judgement that Visa had to pay to Amex.

So in summary, my work led to a windfall for AmEx.  My blood, sweat, and tears gave them something.  But netted me literally nothing in return other than an "atta boy."   

Flash forward a bit.  By the turn of the 21set century, I was working in a different area and got tapped to help migrate customer service agents off of the old-style mainframe green screens, and onto something web-based.  In this case, I was a cog in a machine that was making this transition.  There was an outside consulting company that was running the show.  But I was responsible for designing the user interface, and ran between the tech teams and business partners to get it completed.  It's impossible for me to say what my contribution was in terms of a percent or a dollar amount, but I was heavily engaged.  And the amazing thing is that when I left the company nearly 25 years later, that same user interface was still being used by agents taking calls!  The backend may have changed, but what they saw was all me.

Shortly after that, I migrated the help system for the tool from paper to a web-based solution.  At the end of the year, I was told that I  - just me - was responsible for more than $1 million in saves!  That netted me another "atta boy" .... and then ... well .... I got called into a meeting where they told us how they changed the stock award program.  Until that point, they granted stock awards to every 1 in 2 employees.  I had never gotten one, but had been around for nearly a decade so in theory I should have received 5 of them.  It was like rubbing salt into a wound in a way, I got nothing and then was told that I got even less than nothing.

Later, I got put onto a special project to look at internal fraud.  And it turns out there was some.  More than anyone knew.  I couldn't tell anyone about it, not even my boss.  So of course, he was upset that I wasn't working on anything *for* him, and anything I did find would not contribute to his success.  So I took a lot of flack.  I could tell a higher up what I found, but he was uninterested in knowing the reality (shame on him as an officer of the company!) and he just wanted to make sure we wouldn't let it happen again.

I did get a little monetary reward for my work at the end, but it felt weird taking it because I did wind up "turning in" some people I knew pretty well, and they were unceremoniously fired. 

I went on to work in different areas in tech after that. My roles were more generally creative in nature - I developed processes, deployed universal tools, and worked on reporting vulnerabilities (including some cool dashboards). I taught classes for a while after AmEx decided to become a bank. And I got a patent into the system, which if AmEx had decided to build it (rather than squat on it) would have brought me around to Membership Rewards in a way.

By the way, it turns out that the patent was rejected anyway.  The reasons don't really make sense, and I can see the outside attorney retained by AmEx communicated with the office about resolving some issues, but they never reached out to me about it, either to ask questions or to simply tell that it was never completed.  Its just one more thing to throw my hands up in the air about.  

That was my 28ish years.  I was responsible for $100s of millions of money the company would have otherwise had....and yet I got the call one afternoon. Thanks for all your hard work, but don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.  

That's the delightful part about working in corporate america. 

Another in what is becoming my weekly comments to my senators.

I'm still trying to figure out why Elon Musk is being allowed to run amok through our government.  And what you plan to do about it.

You are tacitly approving of him standing on stage and holding up a chainsaw, and making a mockery of the federal workers he's firing indiscriminately. You are condoning his nazi salute.  

But those are just "simple" yet essentially harmful actions.  His more nefarious ones that you are letting go include:

Creating a "department" that he claims to both not be a part of yet and also run, and whose acronym conveniently is an advertisement for  his crypto coin.

Deciding what is happening at the FAA because of his personal beef with the administration in order to promote his own spacex company - while endangering all of us.

Telling us that we need to get rid of the international space station in order to go to mars - again a blatant promotion of his own private company.

He received a contract for tesla vehicles that went through no bidding process - and which serves to enrich him personally as the ceo of tesla.

He has already moved some official communications from agencies to appear only on the-platform-formerly-known-as-twitter which he owns.  And again without any sort of formal process. And plans to move more agency information there and there only, for his own gain.

This is simply absurd.  DO YOUR JOB and hold him accountable.  He's an unelected person who is telling the president what to do. And profiting from those things.  He's a foreign national to boot.  He has no business doing all the things he is doing.  

Shame on you for letting it happen on your watch.

History repeats itself

As Delon Trusk continues to assail our public servants, I noticed something.  

Did you know that nearly 30% of all people in government service are former members of our military? And 70% of all federal jobs are defense and security- related businesses?

By volume of federal workers, here are the biggest departments:

Veterans Affairs ~19%

Army ~12%

Navy ~11%

Homeland Security ~10%

Air Force ~ 8%

Justice ~6%

Defense ~5%

So, in effect, by "trimming the workforce" (and seeing Musk holding a chainsaw is the absolute height of absurdity), they are both adversely impacting veterans AND essentially weakening our defensive capabilities.

And for some retired military personnel, there is a general fear that their pensions or other benefits may wind up being cut or delayed either directly or indirectly because of these cuts.

Now, the title of this post is about history repeating itself.  

Let me start by saying that I am a "citizen archivist" for the National Archives (and will keep doing it as long as that remains available - who knows what might happen there?).  I am helping to transcribe hand-written, cursive letters regarding Revolutionary War Veterans.

The thing about the Revolutionary War is that people, ordinary citizens, took up the cause to fight against the British.  They did it because it was right.  But it was understood they would get pensions and land grants for their service.

The war ended, and the new government sought to make good on this, and set up a program to give back to these soldiers.  Except that being newly formed, it was complicated to figure out just how to do that.  And once they started taking applications there was a fire that destroyed most of the documents.

So the soldiers had to wait longer still.  Then, in 1818 - 35 years after the end of the war - they officially started taking information again, but it was based on testimony of the soldiers who were still alive and their families.  Some were paid out, and some had to wait longer still.

The records I'm going through are from shortly before the civil war - in the late 1850s, another 40 years later - so now these pensions that were worth far less since it was almost 75 years later were going to children and grandchildren.

History repeats itself insomuch as the soldiers we have defending us are not really given their due.  The VA setup we have now is inadequate, and in some ways not so different than it was after the Revolutionary War; soldiers suffered injuries that weren't treated properly and they weren't compensated for their injuries.

And yes, I am painting with a fairly broad brush. I just found it interesting that we put so much emphasis on our military, but the actual people in these jobs are mere commodities that are cast aside once their service is done.

Watch "Will An Asteroid Hit Earth in 2032?" on YouTube

This is a clear, concise, and rational explanation that counters the salacious headlines by Neil Degras Tyson. 

In short: we will be able to accurately predict what will happen soon-ish as the asteroid makes its way though the galaxy - thanks to science! 

And if it were to hit us, it's most likely to land in the ocean and have little to no impact.

So when you hear the breathless report or read the all caps doomsday headlines, stop and think about it. 

https://youtu.be/_-ZB2Z7VtmE?si=HZ5KnjDpztsZhw8v

A Chinese breakthrough in space travel

The Chinese believe they have unlocked a solid state fuel to get us out of Earth's atmosphere. 

For those not quite sure what that means, we use a liquid rocket fuel coupled with a liquified oxygen in a controlled explosion that creates thrust. 

A solid rocket fuel would be something more stable and with an even greater control. If you remember the model rockets many of us had as kids, it's taking of like the rocket packs that were stable and safe we'd use to launch a rocket. 

By the way, the article notes that watching Boeing's failure with Starliner helped jump start their plans. 

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299454/chinese-scientists-turn-boeings-helium-leak-crisis-stealth-missile-tech-breakthrough

Climate change will hit us everywhere

Take a look at the article below. Essentially we are being warned by the CEO of Whole Foods that climate change will directly impact our food supply  

Citing egg and dairy shortages over the holidays as an example, Buechel warned: "We're going to see that with more products within our grocery stores."

Buechel said it's critical that customers understand what's happening to food supply chains as warming temperatures cause extreme weather events to become more intense and frequent. According to Bayer's 2024 Farmer Voice Survey, more than 60% reported "significant revenue loss" due to adverse weather over the past several years. 

"We have to bring some of these things to broader awareness so customers know these things are happening, which can tie back to climate change," he said.

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/whole-foods-ceo-warning-grocery-store-availability-climate/

Here's some food for thought, from a few years ago

Source:

https://medium.com/personal-growth/how-to-stop-caring-about-what-people-think-do-3d2483c6e274

How To Stop Caring About What People Think & Do

The only person you don't want to disappoint is you

Darius Foroux

Feb 20, 2020

On the outside, it often looks like people don't care about others. It appears that people are selfish. But if you take a closer look, you'll see that everyone is affected by what other people think and do. Let me give you a few examples:

• The guy who's going to the gym for years and always thinks other people have bigger muscles than him.
• The girl who's not going after her career because she doesn't want her friends and family to judge her.
• The guy who's dressing in t-shirts because he's afraid of what his "bro's" will say if he expresses his true style.
• The guy who thinks people will not take him seriously because of his accent.
• The girl who thinks her followers will not approve of saying something that's controversial.

I can go on for a while. And I can't say I'm immune to these thoughts. We all care about what others think because it's part of our nature. Humans all have the drive to be accepted. That's called Belongingness.

The fact that we have Belongingness in our genes is because of natural selection. In the pre-modern age, humans who didn't have the need to belong to a group didn't survive on their own. To a certain degree, that's still true today. We're inherently social beings.

But things have changed: We're more mobile and we have better technology now. We don't need to be accepted by everyone anymore. Back in the day, you had to be accepted by the people around you. Now, we have more power. If people don't accept us for who we are, we simply move on. But how do you do that? How do you care less about what other people do? Here are a few things that have helped me.

Detach From Imaginary Groups

I used to love being part of a group. In high school, we had a cool-kids corner. We owned that corner and didn't allow people to join us. Being a part of that group gave you a false sense of power and status. At some point, I grew up and realized how childish it is to be part of a group like that.

Everywhere you go you have cool-kids groups: At the office, among your family members, in bars, clubs, on social media, YouTube, you name it. Everyone wants to be part of these imaginary groups.

These days, I think it's pathetic to be part of a group so you can be cool. It's all signaling and a cry for acceptance. As an adult, you don't need groups. You have your family, a few good friends, a career, a few hobbies, and that's about it.

Every time I see a group, I run. That's why I never became a part of writer or blogger groups. I don't have anything against other writers, but I don't have the need to be part of a group. Look, there's nothing wrong with seeking peers to exchange stories with. I like that too.

But under no circumstance must you attach your identity to a group — doesn't matter what it is.

Be Mission Driven

One of the reasons we gravitate towards groups is uncertainty. We don't have a set of rules for our own lives and blindly adopt any belief system we run into. When you join a group, you must adopt their views and beliefs by default.

Now, if those beliefs are already yours, that's okay. But most people changetheir beliefs so they fit in. In today's world, you don't need to fit in anymore. What's the point of fitting in with certain people when you know there are millions of people just like you?

Instead of being driven by your need to belong, be driven by your mission. If you don't have a mission, it's not something you create in an hour. The late Stephen Covey explained it as follows:

"A mission statement is not something you write overnight but fundamentally, your mission statement becomes your constitution, the solid expression of your vision and values. It becomes the criterion by which you measure everything else in your life."

That last part is very important. Instead of measuring everything in your life by other people's standards (which is why we care so much about what others think), measure it by your mission.

Vision + Values = Mission

I've written a lot about the power of having core values. In this article, I share 8 values I live by. That's how I measure myself. This is not a new way of living. In fact, most successful people I know who are also happy are driven by their values. Howard Schultz, who served as Starbuck's CEO, and turned it into the cultural icon it's today, says this about values:

"I never wanted to be on any billionaires list. I never define myself by net worth. I always try to define myself by my values."

If you want to be driven by your mission instead of being driven by Belongingness, take the time to uncover your core values. But that's not enough. You also must have a vision for how you want to live your life.

When you know where you want to go (vision) and have a roadmap that brings you there (values), you're less susceptible to what others think and do.

So what if other people go out twice a week, buy designer clothes, have Lamborghinis, talk a certain way, have biceps the size of watermelons, or have legs that look like bread sticks?

And who cares if people don't like your work, don't approve your career choices, want you to become a doctor, or give up your dream to please them? You should care about your mission.

Don't Disappoint Yourself

A big part of Belongingness is that we don't want to disappoint people. This is a trap that kind and thoughtful people fall into. I consider myself a kind person but I don't give a shit if others are disappointed because of my actions. Not my partner, family, friends, and certainly not strangers.

The only person I don't want to disappoint is myself. For example, when I catch myself telling a white lie, I'm truly disappointed in myself for not living up to my core values. When I don't live up to my mission, I correct myself.

The truth is that if people are disappointed by others, they are selfish. A selfless and satisfied person will never be disappointed by another person. After all, if you don't need anything and don't expect anything from others, how can you be disappointed? My philosophy is that if you're disappointed, it's your problem, not anyone else's.

Close Relationships With Good People Is All You Need

My ideas come from Belongingness to family. I have great parents, a loyal brother, and a few close friends who I talk to weekly. That's the only Belongingness you need. In those cases, it leads to less depression and suicide.

If you don't have that type of group; create one. This is a matter of biology. I understand that there are people who prefer to be alone and not belong to any group, but that's not what I'm talking about in this article.

To be clear, trying to belong to shallow groups so you can feel better about yourself is bad. Creating a family or group with people who support each other, is essential to your well-being.

We must respect our genes. If our ancestors belonged to groups, we can't disregard it. But since the world has changed, our need to belong has started to work against us. We started caring about the opinions of strangers and people who don't care about us. Instead of letting those people influence you, gravitate towards people who you're deeply connected to.

What you'll find is that you don't need to be a part of other groups anymore. At that point, people will want to join your group.

This article was originally published on DariusForoux.com

Rooftop solar charging for your car

Dartsolar has unveiled its latest 2,000-watt, folding solar roof rack for any electric vehicle, adding up to 40 miles of range for free per day. 

The concept is interesting. And it makes some amount of sense. 

It's just a little early to get into this technology. A whole day of charging for about 40 miles? And the cost is near $2k

We're on the cusp of something amazing. But not quite there yet. 

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dartsolar-prototypes-2-000-watt-solar-charging-roof-rack-for-EVs.961709.0.html

We’re #2

GM has moved into the spot as the second biggest marketer of EVs, which is kind of exciting. 

In theory, they could be a serious competitor to Tesla … assuming the tariff and trade nonsense can be worked out, and Elon musk doesn't use his power to stifle competition. 

I look forward to exploring GM as an option when I'm looking for my next car. 

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/gm-market-share-doubles-ev-manufacturer/

Hidden maths on art

This is pretty cool. Previously, it was noted that Van Gogh used subtle maths in his paintings (link is in the attached article). 

But now, researchers add finding that Mondrian and da Vinci also used mathematics in their art. 

In da Vincis case, it's not a huge surprise since his interests extended well beyond art. He was a tinkerer and an engineer of sorts. 

But it's interesting to see how he used that in his art. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/da-vinci-mondrian-art-hidden-math-b2699335.html

Disneys court battle over streaming

Looks like Bob Chapek may have fudged some numbers to make streaming look better to investors.

While many of his decisions were suspect in a way, this one rises to the level of the board taking action and removing him, I would say. 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-streaming-court-battle-1236141437/

Maybe the car is psychic?

I was at an intersection this morning. There was a bike to my left that was clearly going straight.  But the camera picked up the bike and showed it perpendicular to me. 

Before the light changed, the rider made a hard turn to the right and went in front of me to cross the intersection. 

So the inaccurate depiction on the screen was an accurate foretelling of the future. 

They’ll be calling you radical, fanatical…

I heard Supertramp's "The Logical Song" recently and kind of got the feels from it. Who would have thought a song that came out 45 years ago would have significance today?

I was curious about the origin of the song and it's actual meaning, so I did little googling. And thought I'd share. 

https://youtu.be/kln_bIndDJg?si=O9gl37KGy0hwYQKA

https://medium.com/the-riff/supertramps-the-logical-song-explained-7a070dd0f4b7

I wonder if that’s intentional?

The BBC referred to the Secretary of State (a cabinet position) as an envoy, which I suppose is technically correct, but surely an insult to his pompous self. 

Another example of how things will go sideways under the current administration

Among all of the things Biden included in his American Rescue Plan was funding for gun violence prevention. 

…and in Detroit, it had great success. Gun related deaths reached a low that hasn't been seen in 60 years. 

But T-rump will not renew the funding and that means the program will shutter. 

The article notes that the state had allocated funds via a bill that passed the legislature, but never passed in the state senate, and thus no state money will be spent, either. 

Wow a program that worked that cost relatively little money. But those billionaires need another sports car I guess. So you gotta reduce spending.

And somehow the GOP seems to thrive off misery, so it's on brand. 

https://www.thetrace.org/2025/02/detroit-gun-violence-shotstoppers/

Disneyland sued for changes to the disability pass

Disney had a means of providing something to guests needing special assistance. Back before you had all the technology, guests who couldn't wait in line could get a pass book from guest relations that would allow them to visit attractions and be given a return time to avoid the wait. 

As the technology advanced, they still had the book but you had do a little pre-planning and couldn't just walk into guest relations and ask for it. 

Then the abuse started. People who didn't need it were using it to "skip the lines" and worse, local tour operators were directing their clients (for a fee) in how to game the system. 

Disney changed the system to one that more closely aligned with the technology; you could pre-register and then go through a sort of screening process (Disney was always very mindful about asking specific questions about disabilities, but wanted to know if waiting in line posed a problem, and wanted to see the person who would be using it). The guest would then be able to book some lightning lane attractions for their visit that would mostly avoid lines. 

Only…. These tour operators are not all good people. And they found more loopholes to exploit, thus giving their guests a means (once again) to cheat the system. 

Disney responded yet again by threatening these operators. But, social media spread the "how to" far and wide. 

So Disney had to change course and revisit the program. They further restricted who could use it and how many attractions it could be used on, etc. 

Which caused some people to cry foul. Right or wrong they are saying Disney is discriminating against them. And are suing in California (such a suit would go nowhere in Florida, and would face resistance on the national level). 

I suspect the endgame will be that Disney makes another change. What that will look like, who knows?

To me, a solution where one person waits in line and the guest with be disability catches up at the end may be the simplest one. Though I do see that using some technology may be helpful - perhaps you wait in a virtual queue, but it has to be nearby the attraction and the wait time is as though you stood in line and then you join the queue at the end. 

It eliminates more of the system abuse and levels it for everyone. You can still purchase the lightning lane if you choose. But this is a free option that changes the paradigm. 

https://www.sfgate.com/disneyland/article/disney-sued-discrimination-disability-service-20168308.php

Even Disney realizes they are pricing people out of visits

The Wall Street journal recently ran a piece about the high cost of making a visit to Disney world. 

Disney seemingly responded by talking about value, the experience, and the "once in a lifetime" schtick. They also calculated their own cost for a stay, and essentially disputed the WSJ saying it might cost around $3800, by saying their figures were closer to $3100. Which is still a lot. 

Anyway, the article is behind a paywall. But you can find it excerpted here:

https://www.resetera.com/threads/even-disney-is-worried-about-the-high-cost-of-a-disney-vacation-wall-street-journal.1104477/

And if you're so inclined, fellow Disney enthusiast and acquaintance of mine Len Testa, breaks this down for us in a lot of detail. 

https://touringplans.com/blog/how-much-disney-can-americas-middle-class-afford-in-2025/

The one thing if add is that while this is all true, the cost of *everything* is going up to a point where most people can't afford much more than a staycation. 

Young inventors!

There's a group that encourages young deaf people to come up with a solution to one of their personal issues with their cochlear implants. 

Then this group reviews these ideas and invites some of the most innovative ones to Austria for a competition of sorts and helps develop these ideas further, helping others. 

I did notice this year had one entry from the US, a 12 year old from Florida. You can see her story in the YouTube below. 

Children really are the future. Never stop reaching for the stars, kids!

https://businessday.ng/bd-weekender/article/meet-12yr-old-nigerian-innovator-who-won-trip-to-austria-in-med-els-global-ideasforears-contest/

https://youtu.be/ikne3N9aPG0?si=rpcFfaY-hwy9a0OU

Its a kind of personal evolution, coupled with a comeuppance I guess

There's a thing trending on the socials called FAFO - essentially "F*ck Around and Find Out" which presents stories of buyers remorse in a way, as it relates to voting for T-rump in 2024.  

You have stories about the people who were happy to get the "bad illegals" deported, until it was someone they knew and cared about who got deported.  You have the people who are complaining prices are going up in spite of him saying he'd bring them down (and hearing dear leader say "your prices may go up" in recent days exacerbates this).  People who see this tariff thing hitting them in the wallet, even before it takes full effect because of the perhaps unintended consequences of reduced travel by people from other countries coming here and spending money.  There was a woman lamenting a change in the child tax credit on taxes *from her* to her ex-husband because he pays child support. 

And then there's the USAID money.  Its terrible that we won't be working to help with diseases in other places (which undoubtedly will lead to those diseases spreading farther and wider than they might otherwise).  And there's a kind of carrot and stick effect with other countries.  Offering them aid is a carrot for them to, say, stem the tide of illegal immigration.  As opposed to the stick of "do as we say or else"... but the more immediate problem is the threat to smaller farms.  Some amount of what they produce is bought by the US Government and used in subsidy programs and to ship overseas as part of a broader trade arrangement under USAID.

These small farms that were all in on the guy now see that the US isn't - and won't be - buying their goods anymore.  Which means they have a limited marketplace and it will drive them out of business.  Couple that with silly rules about how SNAP funds may be used (no sugary drinks!) and that means a reduction in corn production that's used in processing corn syrup.

And on and on.  Plus many more to come I am quite sure

Reading and seeing these is both amusing and sad.  But it is the consequence that comes with the decision to vote for him.  And no matter how much we warned them, here we are.

Sucking water from air?

Now this is interesting.

A team of scientists have developed materials that can absorb moisture indoors, and then release it through a ventilation system later, thus making the system more efficient and keeping air dryer.

They use several base materials, but I'm seeing this as a game changer at a museum, or really any high humidity environment (Florida, I'm looking at you!)

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-01-sustainable-components-passive-dehumidification-good.html

Color me intrigued

Russia has told the press they've created a plasma engine (something that has been theorized for many decades) to increase the speed to get us off toward other planets.

Is it an honest report?  Maybe.  But since it is theoretically possible, if they have uncovered a means to make it happen then I am officially intrigued.

I would also note that there is a new-ish space race between Russian scientists and Elon Musk.  They specifically said Mars to "tweak him"

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/02/russian-scientists-develop-plasma-engine-capable-reaching-mars-in-30-days/

Ain’t he a peach?

Jamie Dimon channels his inner villain and acts like a 19th century robber baron.  "Screw what anyone else wants.  Fuck their pentition.  I want everyone IN THE OFFICE AND I WANT PRODUCTIVITY UP 10%"

That pretty much sums up where we are.

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/jpmorgan-ceo-dimon-derides-in-office-work-pushback-demands-efficiency-2025-02-13/

Wow. Talk about turning an effort to end discrimination into something

The Missouri Attorney General is accusing Starbucks of discriminating against white men.  The irony of it all...

https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/missouri-ag-accuses-starbucks-of-violating-anti-discrimination-laws/

A note to our senators about checks and balances

I would like to remind you that the constitution has a specific callout regarding "checks and balances" on the powers that the legislature, judiciary, and executive offices hold. 

A reminder about the civics lessons we had in grade school, From the "politics for dummies" website here's how this is supposed to work:

"In order to ensure that the people were sufficiently protected from a tyrannous government, the framers of the US Constitution introduced institutional precautions and individual protections. These are important aspects of US government operations that help explain the sometimes difficult relations between the various arms of government and their relationship with the people."

"Specifically, The legislature 

Checks the Executive:
Controls the scope and powers of executive departments and agencies.
Has the power to approve or reject the executive's federal budget request.
Can impeach and try executive officials, including the president if he is deemed to have done wrong.
Can override a presidential veto on a bill that has passed Congress with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
Senate approves treaties with other countries and all key departmental appointments as well as US ambassadors made by the president."

You seem to be content to let Mr Trump do as he pleases and go unchecked. He continues to ignore the judiciary that rules against him. He keeps acting as an authoritarian (exactly what the framers feared). He acts in a manner that tramples on our rights and goes against what you should find acceptable. 

The bigger problem is that once he takes all of the power he will never give it up and eventually the very notion of checks and balances will be gone forever. 

Please bear in mind that old saying we learned in history class that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" applies here too. 

You need to hold him to account for his broad actions that violate tenets of the constitution. 

A note to our senators about Elon musk

Elon Musk has no specific government role. He works in a totally made up "department" that was never authorized by the legislature. He has no government clearance. He was never vetted by anyone in the legislature. 

And yet he is being granted unfettered access to nearly every government computer system and he is able to influence the president in specific actions, based on things he wants to do (and which primarily benefit his private businesses). 

And worse, he brings in his staff of people to review these computer systems. People who work FOR HIM and who likewise have no business being in these systems, having not been vetted in any way. 

We don't - and surely you don't either - know his aim, or what he intends to do with any information he gleans from these systems. There is all manner of privileged information and for all we know he's mining it to sell somewhere or use for some purpose. 

Let me ask you this: if Mr Biden had brought someone in to do the same thing, would you let it just play out the same way? Seems unlikely; surely you would have raised the alarms. 

But that's all speculation because no president in our history would have EVER considered such a a thing. This is unique to this president. 

Do your job, Senator, and be mindful that we have no idea what Elon musk is doing. He must be stopped and held accountable. And the president, for allowing such an activity, must be held to account too. 

Making better plant-based cheese

A group of researchers in Saskatchewan thinks they have cracked the code to making plant based cheeses that more closely resemble their milk counterparts for texture and creaminess.

Color me intrigued.  There are a few things I am unwilling to give up as I move to a more plant-based diet. And one of them is cheese.

https://scitechdaily.com/revolutionizing-cheese-scientists-perfect-plant-based-alternatives-with-creamy-texture/ 

revolutionizing the charging game

I've said for a while now that Tesla's "secret sauce" is their charging network.  But now GM is trying to get in on it too.  But rather than build their own, they are partnering with Chargepoint to create a network of stations that can be used by many types of cars.

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/general-motors-chargepoint-ev-charging-stations/

Origins of phrases

Here are 13 common American phrases and the origin of them.

And don't forget to push the envelope on what you can learn and do!

https://www.upworthy.com/idioms-that-dont-make-sense-explained

Two great stories about plastic waste.

Story #1 is about a Mexican startup that wants to turn plastic waste into fuels.

[It] uses pyrolysis, a thermodynamic process that heats plastics in the absence of oxygen, breaking it down to produce gasoline, diesel, kerosene, paraffin and coke.

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-plastic-pollution-fuel-startup-eafe7b665638df5c361064e2c5a58f0d#

Meanwhile story number two is about a group of researchers at Texas A&M who want to break down the plastic into hydrogen.

By utilizing minimal amounts of solvents, they break down these persistent polymers into aromatic compounds, which can then be transformed into green hydrogen.

https://jasondeegan.com/no-one-believed-it-but-the-u-s-is-set-to-profit-from-a-discovery-that-transforms-plastic-waste-into-hydrogen/#google_vignette

Maybe, just maybe we'll see some progress in dealing with the mass of plastics we have generated in society

Peoples choice for wildlife photograph of the year (UK)

There were some great photos in the competition but this one was actually pretty amusing

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice

Cool tech

The idea for autonomous grippers that could pick up space debris is pretty inspired.  But my big question - and one of the things this articles completely ignores - is what happens to the debris after its collected.

But Ill take the leap forward.

https://phys.org/news/2025-02-robot-grippers-space-debris.amp

Another weird example of who owns what and how they control content

This is a weird dispute between Sony Pictures and CBS on how the TV show Jeopardy is distributed.  And the fact that it airs on other networks in parts of the country just complicates it further.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jeopardy-wheel-of-fortune-suit-cbs-restraining-order-sony-1236128804/

Superbowl streaker with some sage advice

"Being rich is living life on your own terms, according to your possibilities not your limitations."

While money certainly does offer more leeway, its a lesson for all of us to not live by the expectations and rules that have been set arbitrarily.  Be yourself and live your best life!  

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/13463185/super-bowl-streaker-dunkin-donuts-trader-chiefs-49ers/amp/

Science and innovation are under attack

T-rump has proposed "drastic cuts" to pretty much everything.  And while they all hurt in some way, the ones that make me nauseous are the ones that are related to the sciences.  Who needs weather forecasting?  Who needs any sort of public health information?  Who needs food that meets certain standards?  These are all things that are likely to be cut off.  

No more ability to keep us healthy. And no more ability to research and innovate - no that has to be left to private companies who can profit from it.

But on that note, there's another interesting twist here.  During Biden's presidency, there was an uptick in the number of patents that were filed.  The patent and trademark office protects these private companies (and individuals) when they invent something new. With the advances in computers, machine learning, and our ability to make physical things using 3D printing, there have been more patents filed.

So Biden, realizing that there was not enough space in the DC office and not enough people willing to relocate to DC anyway, took a different approach.  He implemented a "work from anywhere" program for patent examiners, and opened a satellite office in Atlanta to take some of the burden off of DC.

T-rump has told all government workers that they need to "return to the office" in DC, even if they were hired with the explicit agreement that they could work from anywhere.  And it appears as though he wants to close the satellite office in Atlanta, too.

As news of this unfolds, we are hearing that many of the patent examiners will simply quit,  rather than move to DC, and have an unknown office arrangement (there wouldn't be enough space if they all moved).  Besides, the cost of living is too high, and surely the pressure on them will mount.

And that means that the patent process will slow to a crawl.  If companies know that innovation that they want to protect may take a significant amount of time to go through the process, it seems likely they will be reluctant to innovate at the same pace.

Or perhaps they start patenting in Europe or elsewhere, which moves innovation out of the US.

These are dark times.

Tailgating!

Here's a fun look at tailgating. It has an interesting history that deserves a little attention. 

While doing my dolphins podcast, I met a few interesting folks who were true tailgating aficionados. 

There was the "commissioner of tailgating" (the designation came from him, but was picked up by the food network, and later by espn, and then the NFL featured him). He told some fun stories about tailgating and how it's become a part of our lore. And how it's a bit of friendly rivalry with opposing fans. 

He was big in the history and pointed out that the first tailgates happened during the civil war. At some of the early battles, locals would bring a sandwich picnic, and sit on a hill and watch the battle unfold. It's crazy but that means that tailgating is very much a part of our history. 

And then I met a guy from the UK who was so fascinated by the idea of tailgating, that he made a trip one fall to the US and went to tailgates for all 32 NFL teams. It was remarkable, and he crowd funded some of his expenses by sharing his experiences on the fledgling social media platforms. 

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/08/g-s1-47257/the-american-tailgate-why-strangers-recreate-their-living-rooms-in-a-parking-lot

Being your best self

The challenge in today's world is to make yourself useful, and fight against the absurdity that seemingly exists around us. 

I'd like to share with you what I'm doing, and suggest you come up with some things for yourself. 

First, and foremost, never stop learning. Take advantage of any opportunities that are offered to learn a new skill. Take classes at the collegiate level (hey some are offered at universities for free, online, on your schedule). I keep teaching myself new tools online and playing with creative ideas. 

Challenge yourself to think about things you hear.  Don't accept things at face value. Always be a critical thinker. 

Volunteer! I am currently volunteering about once a month at the food bank. The reason: food insecurity is a very big problem and as a (supposed) 1st world nation, we should be doing more. My little bit helps my community.  And by the way, something I read was that Taylor swift makes a sizable donation to the local food bank in every city she tours, because she sees the need and can't volunteer in person.  For what it's worth, I find that intriguing. 

I also decided that I could be a citizen archivist. The national archives is always looking for volunteers to help read hand written cursive letters that exist in the archive. It's surprisingly fun, and as long as the archives remain available on the internet, I can see keeping this up. 

Betting and sports

As we bid goodbye to another NFL season, I wanted to call attention to the biggest "elephant in the room" when it comes to sports, and that's gambling on sports. And the fact that the various leagues promote and endorse it just makes it that much worse. 

A few years ago, you had the story about the NBA referee who was aiding the mob in a sort of game fixing. 

Look, a single call in a game probably won't influence the outcome. But if you can disrupt the flow or get someone in foul trouble then you can influence it. 

And while that story went away, like magic, the reality is that the sport is forever tainted. And then when we heard about the NBA player being suspended this year because he was gambling on games, it's that much worse. 

Franchises have rules that players can't bet on the games they're involved in, and can't bet at all when at the team facility (to protect the owner from appearances of impropriety)

But of course they find ways around those rules, or have friends place bets on their behalf. And what's to stop a player from doing something that could alter the outcome? It's not that hard to miss a free throw or take a strike or make a half hearted effort to tackle is it?

You had the MLB involved in a scandal a few years back where there was "sign stealing" and again that was investimagated and turned up nothing. 

Same thing in the NFL with the patriots.

And more recently in the NFL, you had some consequential but very marginal officiating going on late in the season and in the playoffs. The league simply said "hey some errors were made but pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"

For me, I enjoy watching sports. But for the entertainment of it all. I try my best not to get caught up in who wins and loses and rooting for a team. There's really no purpose; it could be "fixed" or it could simply be luck that the team you're rooting for wins - or loses. 

But in the end, eyeballs are on that event. And sports betting makes an absolute killing on interest in a sportsball game. 

The ads, the point spreads, the constant barrage of information about betting on games. It's just too much. 

He’s not wrong.

Nicolas Cage said this during a recent acceptance speech. 

"But there is another world that is also disturbing me. It's happening right now around all of us: the new AI world. I am a big believer in not letting robots dream for us. Robots cannot reflect the human condition for us. That is a dead end if an actor lets one AI robot manipulate his or her performance even a little bit, an inch will eventually become a mile and all integrity, purity and truth of art will be replaced by financial interests only. We can't let that happen."

https://parade.com/news/nicolas-cage-sends-major-warning-disturbing-hollywood-ai-trend-during-speech-2025

An open letter to my senators

I would like to remind you that your job is to represent your constituents, while supporting and defending the constitution. It is NOT to say simply "hand over the keys" to our democracy to the person in the Oval Office 

Our system of checks and balances was designed so that you actually hold that person to account, and don't simply let them run amok as an authoritarian. 

You are allowing Mr Trump to simply do as he pleases, taking legislation, foreign policy, taxation, eliminating government roles, and deciding unilaterally on funding into his own hands while you sit idly by and let it occur. 

And worse, you are allowing one of the worlds richest men - who I might remind you lied on his immigration paper work and therefore (by definition) is here illegally - to do as he pleases and heavily influence decisions that are being made in the office. 

So while it's bad enough you are just turn a blind eye to the president and his actions, it's worse that we are being essentially governed by a person who is not elected and should be held accountable in his own right. 

Do your job Senator. Remember that you were elected by the citizens of Florida to uphold the constitution, and you can't simply just let one person take over the entirety of government. 

Bad editing

Feel?

Cause?

Regret?

Use?

Disney's Star Wars Hotel to Become Offices

I mean it only cost a billion dollars and was - by all accounts - a total failure. 

So why not repurpose it into something that doesn't build on your brand at all?  Just make it an office complex and move on!

Remember, though, that it was an immersive experience that was supposed to feel like you were in space. So the building has no windows (and if you're thinking about the haunted mansion it has no windows and no doors!) 

But for the people working there they could sell it as "Every day I arrive for work and sit in a windowless office but can 'stare into space'… And then Darth maul comes by and asks if my work is done."

Or maybe this could be Disneys next marketing idea. You pay *them* to work there for a day or a week or a month and you can enjoy the perks of being in this office!

https://www.thewrap.com/star-wars-hotel-disney-starcruiser-coverted-into-offices/

Another competitor in space travel

Introducing sierra, with its space plane. It looks kinda like the space shuttle, but with different wing surfaces. 

The objective is to be able to ferry people and cargo to the ISS in a slightly different, reusable format. 

Here's to another level of innovation! 

https://www.popsci.com/science/spaceplane-test/

Sample from the asteroid reveals something interesting

Building Blocks Of Life Found On Asteroid Bennu

While it doesn't mean that there's life elsewhere in the universe, finding building blocks for life is intriguing and suggests that we have a lot more to learn about life and how it exists. 

This is kind of a cool discovery, and hopefully will get us to do more study about our universe. 

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/asteroid-bennu-sample-life/

Proving once again that no one has a clue

Of course no one can define woke, but Megyn Kelly seems to have trouble identifying things that would be in the general woke space. 

Glad Melissa Gilbert set her straight… though I'm sure Kelly will ignore the comment because it's all about an agenda and eschews reality. 

https://ew.com/melissa-gilbert-reacts-to-megyn-kelly-little-house-on-the-prairie-woke-comment-8783612